Yayoi Kusama
Yayoi Kusama
For the first time Victoria Miro presents an exhibition which spans both exhibition spaces at 14 & 16 Wharf Road offering a substantial presentation of Yayoi Kusama's work.
For this exhibition, Kusama has conceived a new installation Dots Obsession - Infinity Mirrored Room (2008) especially for the upper gallery and in the lower galleries has installed 45 new silkscreen works that are shown alongside two significant sculptural pieces from the early nineties. Also on view is a series of new dot paintings and an environmental installation I'm Here, but Nothing, (2000-2008). The exhibition continues outside the gallery where Kusama has installed one of her most infamous works, Narcissus Garden in Regents Canal - a work which has never before been exhibited in the UK.
Kusama's work is instantly recognisable for her signature use of obsessively repeated forms - dots, nets & phallic protrusions - which can be traced back to childhood hallucinations in which multiplying forms encompassed the universe so that she and everything else was obliterated. The new installation in the upper gallery Dots Obsession - Infinity Mirrored Room (2008) comprises giant polka-dot inflatable sculptures arranged in tent-like forms. The installation invites the viewer to completely immerse themselves in the work and to share in the isolation and disorientation experienced by the artist.
In the lower galleries Kusama presents a new suite of silkscreen works on canvas. Like the renowned Infinity Net and Dot Paintings, these works are also characterised by the obsessive repetition of certain motifs. Her visual language is here predominantly figurative and is replete with identical female profiles, outlines of lips or eyes, dotty organisms, serpentine forms and doll-like figures. Exhibited en masse their effect is akin to a stream of consciousness, as is reflected in titles such as A Dream I Dreamed Yesterday, Infinity Cosmos and Women in a Dream. Also installed in the lower galleries is Infinity Mirrored Room - Love Forever (1994), a freestanding box that uses mirrors facing each other to produce an infinite number of reflections. Like all of Kusama's mirrored environments this work is much more than a simple optical device, rather serving to embody the artist's monomaniac fears.
A recurring motif in Kusama's practice is a phallic-like form that has colonised many found objects including frying pans, teapots & ironing boards. Here, multiple phallic forms are rendered in fabric and silver paint with in a grid framework in a work entitled Prisoner's Door, (1994). Broadly known as Accumulations, these sculptures are often identified as an attempt by the artist to confront her deep-seated sexual fears by giving them physical embodiment.
Narcissus Garden is installed on the galleries canal side terrace and in Regents canal and will link the two parts of the exhibition. The work dates back to 1966, when Kusama first participated in the 33rd Venice Biennale. The work comprised hundreds of mirrored spheres outdoors in what she called a 'kinetic carpet'. As soon as the piece was installed, Kusama began selling each individual sphere for $2, until the Biennale organisers put an end to her enterprise. Perhaps one of Kusama's most notorious works, Narcissus Garden was as much about the promotion of the artist through the media as it was an opportunity to offer a critique of the mechanisation and commodification of the art market. Various versions of Narcissus Garden have been presented worldwide at venues including Le Consortium, Dijon, 2000; Kunstverein Braunschweig, 2003 and Central Park, New York in 2004 and now in the UK.
In a departure from her largely monochromatic canvases, Kusama has installed a new series of multi-coloured dot paintings and I'm Here, but Nothing, (2000-2008). This installation is a simply furnished room consisting of table and chairs, place settings and bottles, armchairs and rugs, however its walls are tattooed with hundreds of fluorescent polka dots glowing in the UV light. The result is an endless infinite space where the self and everything in the room is obliterated.
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Exhibition
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August 7 2024
Yayoi Kusama’s largest permanent public sculpture is unveiled in London
Yayoi Kusama's first permanent public artwork in the UK and her largest public sculpture in the world has been unveiled. Infinite Accumulation is a new, site-specific work at London's Liverpool Street station in which Kusama develops one of the most recognisable motifs of her visual language: the polka dot. Here, the dot is expanded into linked forms that interact with and define the public spaces outside the station. Liverpool Street station, London -
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July 9 2024
Yayoi Kusama: Pumpkin, now on view in London
Serpentine and The Royal Parks have just unveiled Yayoi Kusama's tallest bronze pumpkin sculpture to date, installed in Kensington Gardens from 9 July–3 November 2024. Kensington Gardens, London -
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April 27 2024
Yayoi Kusama: Portraying the Figurative at the Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo
The exhibition (27 April–1 September 2024) focuses on the diverse trajectories of Kusama’s figurative works, spanning from the 1940s to the present day. The Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo -
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March 27 2024
Yayoi Kusama: 1945 – Today at Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves, Porto
On view 27 March–29 September 2024, and featuring around 160 works, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations and archival materials, the exhibition explores Kusama's career from her earliest drawings to her most recent immersive artworks. Porto, Portugal -
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October 4 2023
Yayoi Kusama: Infinite Love at SFMOMA
The artist’s first solo presentation in Northern California (14 October 2023–7 September 2024) encompasses two Infinity Mirror Rooms. San Francisco, California, USA -
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September 23 2023
On view at Stedelijk Museum Schiedam – Yayoi Kusama: The Dutch Years 1965–1970
On display (23 September 2023–25 February 2024) are works made by Kusama during the various periods in which she lived and worked in the Netherlands, alongside many photographs of Kusama taken while she was in the country. Schiedam, Netherlands -
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July 1 2023
Extended to April 2024 – Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms at Tate Modern
The focused exhibition (18 May 2021–28 April 2024; booking to 30 September 2023) is a rare chance to experience two of the artist’s immersive mirror room installations juxtaposed with photos and footage of early performance works and studio happenings. Tate Modern, London -
Exhibition
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June 30 2023
Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons at Aviva Studios, Manchester
Conceived especially for the soaring spaces of Aviva Studios, the exhibition (30 June–28 August 2023) celebrates three decades of the pioneering artist's inflatable artworks, which are brought together for the first time in this major exhibition. Aviva Studios, Manchester -
Exhibition
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June 27 2023
Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
On view 27 June–8 October 2023, the exhibition, which originated at M+ Hong Kong, features some 200 works – paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, and archive material that documents the artist's happenings and performances – examining Kusama’s work since her first drawings as a teenager, during World War II, until her most recent immersive installations. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao -
Exhibition
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April 29 2023
On view at the Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo – Yayoi Kusama’s Self-Obliteration/Psychedelic World
The exhibition (April 29–18 September 2023) focuses on the psychedelic aspects of Kusama's work and presents rich variations of her creations from different periods. Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo -
Exhibition
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March 23 2023
Now extended to July 2023 – One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection
The exhibition (on view until 16 July 2023) provides an opportunity to come closer to Yayoi Kusama through five of her artworks in the museum's collection, including two Infinity Mirror Rooms. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC -
Exhibition
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November 10 2022
Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now at M+, Hong Kong
M+ announces its first special exhibition (12 November 2022–14 May 2023), opening on the museum’s first anniversary. Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now comprises more than 200 works to be presented across various locations at M+, including three brand-new works. M+, Hong Kong -
Exhibition
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October 14 2022
Yayoi Kusama creates a large-scale mosaic for New York’s Grand Central Madison terminal
As announced by The New York Times, Yayoi Kusama will create floor-to-ceiling mosaics for the underground Long Island Rail Road terminal opening in December. Ted Loos, The New York Times -
Exhibition
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July 23 2022
Yayoi Kusama: The Obliteration Room at Tate Modern
On view until 29 August 2022, The Obliteration Room is an interactive artwork for all ages. Visitors will be given a sheet of colourful ‘dot’ stickers to help bring the space to life. Tate Modern -
Exhibition
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July 5 2022
Yayoi Kusama: DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE at PHI Foundation, Montréal
In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art presents Yayoi Kusama: DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE, the artist’s first solo exhibition in Québec (on view 6 July 2022-15 January 2023). PHI Foundation, Montréal -
Exhibition
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March 3 2022
On view at the Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo – A POEM IN MY HEART
In this exhibition (3 March–28 August 2022), the museum introduces Kusama's diverse works reminiscent of Surrealism, which portray images overflowing from her inner world and struggles in her mind as they really are. Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo -
Exhibition
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November 15 2021
Yayoi Kusama: A Retrospective at Tel Aviv Museum of Art
The artist's first major exhibition in Israel (15 November 2021–23 April 2022) brings together artworks produced over an eighty-year period. This extensive survey traces Kusama's work in Japan, the United States, and Europe, from her early paintings and sculptures to her immersive installations Tel Aviv Museum of Art -
Review
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June 6 2021
Hettie Judah reviews Yayoi Kusama in iNews
In a review covering exhibitions at Tate Modern and Victoria Miro, Hettie Judah writes, ’There is great pleasure to be had from both these shows. If you happened upon them knowing nothing about Kusama, they’d be intriguing and delightful things.‘ Hettie Judah, iNews -
Exhibition
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May 19 2021
Yayoi Kusama: A Retrospective at Gropius Bau, Berlin
Titled A Bouquet of Love I Saw in the Universe, the artist's first large-scale retrospective in Germany takes place 23 April–1 August 2021. Gropius Bau, Berlin -
Exhibition
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April 10 2021
KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature at New York Botanical Garden
In this major exhibition (10 April–31 October 2021) Kusama will reveal her lifelong fascination with the natural world, beginning with her childhood spent in the greenhouses and fields of her family’s seed nursery. Spectacular installations across the 250-acre landscape will include Hymn of Life – Tulips and Narcissus Garden, as well as the debut of new monumental sculptures. New York Botanical Garden -
Exhibition
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July 30 2020
A new exhibition opens at the Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo
THE VISION OF FANTASY THAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEN IS THIS SPLENDOR (30 July 2020–29 March 2021) features works created over the past ten years. Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo -
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March 4 2020
A new exhibition, ZERO IS INFINITY, ZERO and Yayoi Kusama, opens at the Yayoi Kusama Museum
The first group exhibition at the Yayoi Kusama Museum (5 March–31 May 2020) focuses on Kusama's activity in Europe during the 1960s and introduces the work of the artist network ZERO, first initiated by Heinz Mack and Otto Piene in Düsseldorf in 1958. Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo -
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January 7 2020
Coming soon – One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection
The exhibition (4 April–2 September 2020) celebrates the Hirshhorn’s landmark acquisition of two of Yayoi Kusama’s iconic Infinity Mirror Rooms. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC -
News
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January 6 2020
Yayoi Kusama: Open the Shape Called Love at Ackland Art Museum
The exhibition (31 January–12 April 2020) presents the distinguished collection of James Keith Brown ’84 and Eric Diefenbach, with a focus on Kusama's early works on paper, a range of Infinity Net paintings, examples of her sculpture and multi-media work, and a tabletop mirror box. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC -
Exhibition
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December 16 2019
Yayoi Kusama’s Where the Lights in My Heart Go goes on view at Aspen Art Museum
On view 20 December 2019–10 May 2020, Where the Lights in My Heart Go, 2016, creates the illusion of a continuously expanding universe, toying with our sense of visual perception. Aspen, Colorado -
Exhibition
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December 9 2019
Yayoi Kusama: Fireflies on the Water at Toledo Museum of Art
This special presentation of Kusama's installation (14 December 2019–26 April 2020) is made possible through a generous loan from the Whitney Museum of Art. Toledo, Ohio -
Exhibition
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November 26 2019
Rubell Museum’s inaugural installation for its new campus features major work by Yayoi Kusama
Opening 4 December 2019, with immersive installations by Yayoi Kusama including Where the Lights in My Heart Go, 2016. Rubell Museum, Miami, Florida -
Exhibition
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October 14 2019
A major public work by Yayoi Kusama conceived for Place Vendôme, Paris
We are delighted to co-present with Ota Fine Arts and David Zwirner a major public work by Yayoi Kusama conceived for Place Vendôme, Paris, as part of FIAC Hors les Murs, 2019. Place Vendôme, Paris -
Exhibition
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October 11 2019
ICA Miami presents Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins
ICA Miami presents a special off-site exhibition (12 October 2019–31 January 2020) of Yayoi Kusama’s All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins in the Miami Design District, marking the first time that one of Kusama’s signature Infinity Mirror Rooms will be on view in Miami. ICA Miami -
Exhibition
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October 10 2019
Now open at the Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo – Spirits of Aggregation
An exhibition (10 October 2019–31 January 2020) of works from Kusama's Accumulation or Aggreggation series, first created in the early 1960s, presented with associated documents and photographs. Also on show is the installation Dots Obsession and works from Kusama's ongoing My Eternal Soul series. Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo -
Preview
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October 8 2019
Yayoi Kusama features on the cover of Numéro Magazine ahead of her major public work for Place Vendôme
Out on 11 October 2019, Numéro's art issue features a 16-page profile of the artist who will take over Place Vendôme during FIAC. Hettie Judah, Numero Magazine -
Exhibition
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August 30 2019
Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room – My Heart is Dancing into the Universe goes on permanent display at Crystal Bridges Museum
Previewing from 31 August 2019 and on view to the public from 2 October 2019, Infinity Mirrored Room – My Heart is Dancing into the Universe conveys the illusion of being unmoored in endless space. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas -
Exhibition
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May 26 2019
Shine of Life by Yayoi Kusama is unveiled at Kistefos-Museet, Norway
The largest sculpture by Kusama in the Nordic countries has been unveiled at Kistefos sculpture park and museum. Kistefos-Museet, Norway -
Exhibition
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April 4 2019
An exhibition focusing on Yayoi Kusama’s iconic Infinity Nets opens at the Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo
HERE, ANOTHER NIGHT COMES FROM TRILLIONS OF LIGHT YEARS AWAY: Eternal Infinity (4 April–31 August 2019) consists of early pieces from the Infinity Nets series, as well as photographs and documents related to the series’ production. The Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo -
Exhibition
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November 18 2018
Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta
The major touring exhibition travels to Atlanta (18 November 2018–17 February 2019). The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA -
Picture story
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October 26 2018
Anatomy of an Artwork: Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin, 2018
'Kusama has said she likes pumpkins for their “human-like” form and humour. Her fixation on repetition and infinity, however, has a darker side: a kind of obliteration, where you lose yourself in the vastness of her singular universe…' The Guardian Skye Sherwin -
Review
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October 4 2018
Yayoi Kusama’s new exhibition is featured on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row
Jacky Klein reviews THE MOVING MOMENT WHEN I WENT TO THE UNIVERSE. The programme also features an interview with Heather Lenz, director of Kusama – Infinity. Jacky Klein, Front Row -
Exhibition
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October 4 2018
The exhibition – I Want You to Look at My Prospects for the Future: Plants and I – goes on view at the Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo
The exhibition (4 October 2018–28 February 2019) showcases Kusama’s botanical-themed works alongside a selection of self-portraits from across her career. The Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo -
Profile
Posted
October 3 2018
Francesca Gavin writes about Yayoi Kusama in the Financial Times
From painted bronze pumpkins to flower sculptures and a fresh take on her Infinity Mirror Rooms, Yayoi Kusama’s new work brings her kaleidoscopic polka-dot-filled fantasy world to life. Francesca Gavin, The Financial Times -
Picture story
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October 2 2018
Yayoi Kusama creates a special cover for Harper’s Bazaar Art
The design is available as a limited-edition collectable cover distributed alongside the November issue of Harper’s Bazaar. Harper's Bazaar -
Preview
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October 1 2018
The Art Newspaper previews Yayoi Kusama’s new exhibition at Victoria Miro
Gareth Harris gets a first look at THE MOVING MOMENT WHEN I WENT TO THE UNIVERSE, which opens to the public by free timed ticket on 3 October 2018. Gareth Harris, The Art Newspaper -
Preview
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October 1 2018
The Evening Standard previews Yayoi Kusama’s new exhibition at Victoria Miro
' …the walls and ceiling of the installation are covered with a reflective surface, giving the lanterns the appearance of continuing on forever for all those who stand in the space.' Ailis Brennan, The Evening Standard -
Exhibition
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September 28 2018
Yayoi Kusama’s LOVE IS CALLING goes on view as part of Tampa Museum of Art’s Season of Love
On view until 14 February 2019, Infinity Mirrored Room: LOVE IS CALLING, 2013, invites visitors to enter a mirrored room with tentacle-like soft sculptures hanging from the ceiling and positioned on the floor. Tampa Museum, Florida -
Exhibition
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September 26 2018
Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden is featured in Space Shifters at the Hayward Gallery
This major exhibition (26 September 2018–6 January 2019) brings together sculptures and installations that explore perception and space. Hayward Gallery -
Profile
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September 23 2018
Read Tim Adams’ Yayoi Kusama cover feature in The Observer New Review
'This autumn sees more new work on display at the Victoria Miro gallery in London – only two years since its last open-all-hours event. The exhibition coincides with the UK release of a film about the artist’s extraordinary life, Kusama: Infinity.' Tim Adams, The Observer -
Exhibition
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August 24 2018
Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room – Hymn of Life goes on permanent display as part of Henie Onstad’s 50th anniversary celebrations
A permanent installation (from 23 August 2018) of Yayoi Kusama's 2015 work Infinity Mirrored Room – Hymn of Life at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Norway. Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Norway -
Exhibition
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July 7 2018
Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at The Cleveland Museum of Art
Focusing on the evolution of her immersive Infinity Mirror Rooms, the most significant North American tour of Kusama’s work in nearly two decades continues at The Cleveland Art Museum (7 July–30 September 2018). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio -
Exhibition
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July 1 2018
Rockaway! 2018: Narcissus Garden by Yayoi Kusama
MoMA PS1 presents Yayoi Kusama’s site-specific installation of Narcissus Garden as the third iteration of Rockaway! (1 July–3 September 2018), a free public art festival presented with Rockaway Artists Alliance, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, and Bloomberg Philanthropies in the Gateway National Recreation Area at Fort Tilden. Gateway National Recreation Area, Fort Tilden, Far Rockaway, New York -
Exhibition
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May 12 2018
Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow at Museum MACAN, Jakarta
The first large-scale exhibition (12 May – 9 September 2018) of Yayoi Kusama’s work in Indonesia includes more than 130 works that span almost 70 years. Museum MACAN, Jakarta -
News story
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March 13 2018
Yayoi Kusama to create her first permanent UK installation for the Elizabeth line at Liverpool Street
Kusama will create her first permanent UK installation, titled Infinite Accumulation, for the new Crossrail station at Liverpool Street. -
Exhibition
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March 3 2018
Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at the Art Gallery of Ontario
The major exhibition (3 March – 27 May 2018) continues its North American tour. Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto -
Exhibition
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March 3 2018
Yayoi Kusama: All About My Love at Matsumoto City Museum of Art
Taking place in the artist's hometown of Matsumoto City, this major retrospective (3 March – 22 July 2018) features some 180 works drawn from across Kusama's career. Matsumoto City Museum of Art -
Exhibition
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December 15 2017
Yayoi Kusama creates a new, large-scale installation for NGV Triennial
Flower Obsession (15 December 2017–15 April 2018) is a recreation of a domestic space in which visitors are invited to apply red flower motifs to the walls, furniture and objects. Melbourne, Australia -
Feature
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December 15 2017
Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Yayoi Kusama included in Artsy’s 20 Most Influential Artists of 2017
'Artsy’s editors offer up our take on the 20 who continue to have a pervasive, undeniable impact on artistic production and culture at large.' Artsy -
Preview
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November 23 2017
Wallpaper* visits the Yayoi Kusama Museum in Tokyo
'Designed by architectural firm Kume Sekkei, the concept is simple: five white cubes have been stacked and slightly rotated, creating five compact floors, each measuring less than 131 sq m.' Wallpaper* Danielle Demetriou -
Exhibition
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November 4 2017
Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow at Queensland Art Gallery
The exhibition (4 November 2017 – 11 February 2018) is a focused survey of Kusama's work, taking in key motifs as they have developed since the 1950s. Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia -
Review
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November 3 2017
Roberta Smith reviews Yayoi Kusama: Festival of Life in the New York Times
'Ms. Kusama’s current three-ring circus of exhibitions at David Zwirner’s uptown and downtown spaces — which include 76 works on canvas — argue in favor of greatness.' Roberta Smith, The New York Times -
Exhibition
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October 21 2017
Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at The Broad, Los Angeles
The exhibition (21 October 2017 – 1 January 2018) will provide visitors with the opportunity to experience six of Kusama’s infinity rooms alongside large-scale installations and key paintings, sculptures and works on paper from the early 1950s to the present. The Broad, Los Angeles -
Preview
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October 18 2017
The LA Times previews Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at The Broad
A sneak peek of the major touring exhibition ahead of its opening at The Broad, Los Angeles. Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times -
Preview
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October 13 2017
Artsy previews the new children’s book Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity
'As a whole, it reflects the brilliant colors and serene poetry of the artist’s work, with an eye to developing art lovers of the future.' Casey Lesser, Artsy